2026/08/11 Daily Edition

Books have never been trendier, but studies show that as more and more things compete for our frazzled attention spans, we’re reading less and less. This is a problem because reading has a wealth of cognitive benefits that we’re in danger of missing out on. To find out why declining literacy could affect everything from memory to IQ, Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample. She also hears from Prof Falk Huettig, an experimental psychologist at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and author of The Perks of Being a Bookworm Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Check out the Guardian’s new YouTube food series, Feed..

Given the size and age of the universe, it should be full of species with technology far more advanced than our own. So where are they? • The summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. At one point during the discussion, Fermi blurted out: “Where is everybody?” – or, as another participant remembered it, “Don’t you ever wonder where everybody is?” If aliens exist, in other words, why have we never encountered them? The episode has become famous, marking the moment when extraterrestrial life went from a theme for philosophical speculation to a serious scientific problem. For centuries, people had wondered whether life exists on the moon or Mars, but they accepted that we would never know for certain, since making contact with another planet was impossible. By the 1950s, those limits no longer seemed so fixed. In addition to space flight, researchers were developing tools to detect the radio signals that reach us from stars many light years away. These developments were still in their infancy, but it was already clear that humanity was no longer bound to Earth the way it always had been...

Moon is due to pass directly between Earth and sun on Wednesday 12 August. Here’s all you need to know On Wednesday evening, millions of Europeans will experience a celestial treat: a solar eclipse. A wide band of north and central Spain, plus a sliver of Portugal and parts of Greenland and Iceland will experience a rare total eclipse. The light of the setting sun will be virtually blocked out across much of western Europe, including the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland and northern Italy. Here’s what you need to know:..

Officials in British Columbia are still trying to determine how many homes were lost to the fire, which remains out of control as of Monday.

As someone who has specialised in regional policy, I know the task is huge – not least because there is no plan to ensure prosperity throughout England Andy Burnham is off on his travels this week, aiming to reconnect No 10 and the government with voters and communities across the UK. But just weeks before he set out his stall as prime minister, promising to rebalance the economy with growth in every postcode, a government agency, National Highways, underlined the pulling power of the country’s dominant city-region. It announced that a giant tunnelling machine, 16.4 metres in diameter, “the largest ever used in Europe”, was to take England’s most expensive road under the Thames. The Lower Thames Crossing (LTC), so far priced at £10bn-£11bn, is proving to be a contested 14.5-mile venture on the edge of Greater London. Objectors and local councils say it will deliver only short-term congestion relief and destroy ancient woodland and habitats. At 2.6 miles, the road tunnel will be the country’s longest, involving twin-boring for two three-lane highways connecting the M25 in Essex to the A2/M2 in Kent. The government has so far committed £3.1bn for funding the tunnel. It expects the rest from the private sector. We shall see. Peter Hetherington writes for Society Guardian on communities and regeneration..

Disabled campaigners say the official advice for staying safe in a heatwave can put them in more danger.

On Wednesday night the Perseids will peak offering the best chance of seeing a 'shooting star'.

The Hollywood actor investigates claims cancer-causing chemicals were dumped across Wales.

Six giant investment firms announced a $500 billion effort to raise money for customers of Nvidia to pay for computing power.

Flock Safety’s automated license plate-reading cameras, used by thousands of law enforcement agencies in the U.S., have drawn intense criticism from civil liberties groups.

In Texas, there’s one thing liberals and conservatives agree on: They don’t want cameras trained on their cars.

Former Syrian leader convicted of premeditated murder, torture and crimes against humanity.

China's workers are vulnerable as the push to adopt AI comes from top leaders amid a sluggish economy.

An ex-Japanese envoy said the "sexist" comments "betrayed the close bond" between the countries.

Monday's drone strike on the Zawiya refinery was the third such incident in two days.

As Waymo deploys more driverless cars to 15 U.S. cities and counting, its vehicles keep encountering new and unexpected situations that they have no script to handle.

Former world no 1 Iga Swiatek cruised past Diana Shnaider to set up a clash with Elina Svitolina in Toronto.

It's been a bad summer for foodborne illnesses -- from a record-breaking cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce to salmonella infections linked to jalapeños.

Families divided as children of BJP supporters demand education reforms and reject politics of hate.

Four redrawn Alabama districts will hold special elections for US House nominees on Tuesday.

Donald Trump secretly left Turkey through a catering container to a military jet over a threat from Iran, according to US reports.

US ​President Donald Trump departed on a secret military flight from Turkey last month when the White House said he was flying aboard Air Force One, an extraordinary ​move prompted by an Iranian assassination threat, the Washington Post reported Monday.

Cloud-seeding aircraft have been deployed as dozens of schools remain closed due to poor air quality.

Trump reportedly used catering cart to switch planes, unbeknownst to the press pool and some White House staff.

Kyiv is facing a brutal Russian response as its air defence missile stocks dwindle.

West London airport reports 7.86 million passengers in July, compared with 8.15 million for Istanbul Business live – latest updates Heathrow airport has argued “the case for expansion has never been clearer” after it lost its position as Europe’s busiest airport to Istanbul. Figures published on Tuesday showed 7.86 million passengers passed through Heathrow’s four terminals in July,whereas its Turkish counterpart recorded 8.15 million passengers over the same period...

Officials accuse the Rapid Support Forces of carrying out the killings, saying grave held remains of children and women.

Why is the US Pentagon asking for more money for the war on Iran?

The 7.4-magnitude quake, which killed more than 100 people and damaged hundreds of buildings, was the strongest recorded in Colombia in a decade.

Last week reporters Jillian Ambrose and Damian Carrington published a piece which revealed that biggest oil firms made $93bn in profits in three months amid the war in Iran and the climate crisis. They will be online at 2pm BST to discuss their story and any other questions you might have Ask a question: log in or They will be online at 2pm to answer your questions about their reporting – and any others you might have about how the oil markets work – and how many of these companies have withdrawn from their commitments to a clean energy transition...

Rescuers in western Colombia worked through the night and into Tuesday searching for survivors beneath the wreckage after a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake devastated parts of the country’s coffee-growing region on Monday. At least 164 people have been killed and authorities are warning the number of casualties could still climb.

By setting up a curling rink in the shadow of the Colosseum, sports officials hope to capitalize on the fresh popularity of the Winter Olympics phenomenon. Even in a heat wave and without any ice.

Companies will no longer be allowed to advertise goods and services through cold calls without previous consent from consumers.

US president demands compensation for damage incurred by US, complicating standoff with Tehran Consumer confidence hit its highest level in almost two years in July, according to research that indicated the closing stages of the men’s football World Cup and more people holidaying in the UK lifted summer spending. A truce in the Middle East conflict in June and the arrival of a new prime minister in No 10 also gave a lift to consumers after a long period of heightened uncertainty...

Apollo, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs and KKR among those working with chipmaker to fund infrastructure Nvidia ⁠has partnered with six major Wall Street financial institutions to raise ⁠more than $500bn (£370bn) capital for artificial intelligence infrastructure. The Nvidia chief executive, Jensen Huang, said on X that the company has ⁠the option to backstop up to $125bn, or 25% of the potential deals...

Barclays says survey shows people feel more secure in jobs and have more leeway to spend on non-essentials Business live – latest updates Consumer confidence hit its highest level in almost two years in July, according to research that indicated the closing stages of the men’s football World Cup and more people holidaying in the UK lifted summer spending. A truce in the Middle East conflict in June and the arrival of a new prime minister in No 10 also gave a lift to consumers after a long period of heightened uncertainty...

The French men’s 400 x 200 m freestyle relay team won silver at the European Championships. On his return to France, Léon Marchand posted the world’s best time of the year in the 200m.

US President Donald Trump on Monday defended FIFA president Gianni Infantino, warning football's governing body would be making a "terrible mistake" by replacing him.

Meta CEO presents utopian vision of AI in 6,000-word essay amid Silicon Valley debate over government regulation Mark Zuckerberg published a lengthy essay on Monday detailing his views on artificial intelligence and announced several plans for how Meta would develop the technology in the future. The CEO’s essay went online the same day as Meta released a new, open-source AI model that seeks to rival Anthropic and OpenAI’s products called Muse Glimmer. Over the course of more than 6,000 words in a post titled “The Future is for Everyone,” Zuckerberg addressed a range of topics related to AI that included datacenters, government regulation, cybersecurity, the creation of bioweapons, labor market disruption, surveillance powers and more. The essay presented a utopian vision of AI as a personalized “superintelligence” – using the word 60 times...

Since they seized power in Afghanistan five years ago, the Taliban have succeeded in expanding their diplomatic and economic ties with countries around the world. But Afghanistan remains largely isolated due to a widespread refusal to formally recognise the Taliban government over human rights abuses.

In a widely expected decision, the Reserve Bank of Australia holds interest rate after three hikes earlier this year Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Reserve Bank of Australia has held the official cash rate at 4.35% but threatened to hike again if needed, as it warned falling house prices would slow income growth. The widely expected decision comes after a steep decline in property values in Sydney and Melbourne arrived in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide following three rate hikes earlier this year...

The shift comes as U.S. stockpiles of key weapons have dwindled and as stop-start talks seem again to have stalled. But Trump insists the pressure can lead to a breakthrough.

Somali referee Omar Artan will make history as the first non-European referee to officiate the UEFA Super Cup.

A family documents the moment a magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits, and destroys their home.

China’s Long March 7A rocket exploded shortly after lifting off from the Wenchang launch site in Hainan.

National oil company warns it may halt operations at the country's largest operating refinery if drone attacks continue.

A drone attack ignited gasoline at Libya's Zawiya oil refinery, the country's largest operational facility.

The war on Iran is exposing shortages in US weapons stockpiles, raising questions about years of defence spending.

Jackie and her partner, Shadow, had been watched by millions of people over the years through the Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday laid out his vision for a future where everyone has a powerful personal AI agent, arguing that open-source technology can prevent control of advanced artificial intelligence from becoming concentrated among a handful of companies, governments or institutions.

The South American nation is only the second country to recognise Israel's claims over the illegally annexed territory.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccinations and splitting up MMR.

The firm says it will refocus on its social media mission, which includes a controversial service that sells faster access to Trump's market-moving posts.

Video shows soldiers running from buildings at a military base in Cali as a magnitude 7.4 earthquake

Turkiye passes law setting terms for thousands of PKK members to rejoin society if the group fully disarms.

South Korea may have been steadfast in its support for Ukraine against Russian and North Korean forces, but Kyiv’s request for air defence systems could prove to be a step too far for Seoul to accept. In addition to South Korea’s legal and policy limits on arms transfers to countries at war and its own defence needs, providing such weapons to Ukraine could further strain its ties with Russia, according to analysts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged South Korea to provide air...

Women helped defeat apartheid’s pass laws, but many still face violence, poverty and unemployment.

Women can make higher returns but only about a quarter of UK women have investments, compared with about 40% of men.

US President Donald Trump said he will seek compensation from Iran for casualties in the war.

Vape shops in England and Wales to need planning permission while betting shop law change will also apply in Scotland Councils are to be given powers to stop betting and vape shops taking over their high streets under new plans announced by Andy Burnham. Local authorities will be able to reject new betting shops and adult gaming centres, while vape shops will be subject to planning permission under plans Downing Street said could be in place from the start of next year...